


Mileven One-Shots

by major_fangirl



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Cheesy, F/M, Fluff, Jancy, Lumax, M/M, Mileven, Nightmares, Original Character(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Harm, Serious fluff, Suicide Attempt, gentle smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-24 08:00:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30069120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/major_fangirl/pseuds/major_fangirl
Summary: Just a collection of {super cheesy, slightly terrible} one shots about Mike and Eleven from Stranger Things. Also includes some Lumax (Max and Lucas) and Jancy (Jonathan and Nancy), as well as relationships with original characters.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair
Kudos: 8





	1. First Official Date

"So, when is your date with Mike?" Max asked. She sat down on the edge of the bed and poked at El's leg teasingly.

"Tonight. I don't know what we are doing. He said it is a 'surprise'," El said, making quotes with her fingers on the word surprise. Max laughed.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. He adores you," Max said and gave her a smile.

"Adores?"

"He cares about you a lot and wants to make you happy."

El blushed and looked down at her hands with a smile.

"Max, what is love?" El asked. Max's head snapped back in El's direction and her eyes went wide. Then a small smirk formed on her face.

"It's hard to explain. People show love in different ways. Why?"

"I just...when we were at the mall a few weeks ago, I heard a boy say 'I love you' and the girl beside him kissed him and said 'I love you too' and I wanted to know what it meant..." El said. She flushed red and continued to look at her hands. She was embarrassed for knowing so little about the world.

"I don't know much about it. I just know that...it's special. And it can make you do crazy things," Max said. She let out a sigh and looked down at the bedding. After a couple of minutes, Max jumped up off her bed.

"What are you doing?" El asked.

"Let's get you a cute outfit for your date," Max said. She grabbed El's hand and pulled her up off the bed, opening her closet up.

"Oh I don't know-"

"Here, try this," Max said. She held up an adorable light purple sweater with balloon sleeves and tossed it on the bed. Then she went over to the dresser and dug through a drawer.

"And these," she added. She laid out a pair of stretch waist shorts that were cuffed at the bottom, with little white flowers on them. El went over to the bed and ran the fabric between her fingers. She went in the bathroom and put on the outfit. When she came out of the bathroom, Max smiled at her.

"That looks so cute!" She said, clapping with excitement. El wandered over to the mirror hanging on the back of Max's bedroom door.

"Pretty," she said to herself, looking over the outfit. She turned around to Max.

"This isn't something I'd expect you to wear. It doesn't look like...you," El said, remembering what Max talked to her about at the mall about discovering personal likes and interests.

"Sometimes I like girly things," Max said and giggled. She smiled and pulled a small zip up bag out of her top dresser drawer. She opened it and pulled out mascara, eyeshadow, and some blush.

"Can I do your hair? And makeup?" Max asked. El kept looking at herself in the mirror for a second before nodding slowly. Max dragged her over to her desk and sat her down in the chair. She combed El's hair and then pulled the top layer back and up, using a scrunchie that matched the sweater to put it up into a high ponytail.

"Half up, half down. It's the new fashion," Max said giggled a bit.

"Thank you, Max," El said softly.

"Anytime. It's nice to have a girl my age to talk to and hang out with," Max said, crossing her arms and leaning on the edge of the desk. El smiled at her and admired herself in the mirror a bit more. She slipped on the socks and sneakers Max had gotten her at the mall.

"One final look?" Max asked, turning her to the mirror once more.

"Pretty?" El asked, looking to Max.

"Gorgeous."

"What if Mike doesn't like it?" El asked. She looked down at her feet, suddenly feeling insecure.

"Then he doesn't deserve you. You look awesome," Max said. She stood behind El in the mirror and straightened the hem of her sweater and smoothed down some frizz. They both jumped when Max's mom knocked on the door.

"Maxine, someone is at the door for you," her mother said.

"I'll bet that's Mike. Come on," Max said. She walked towards the door and El hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Max asked.

"I'm nervous. We've never really gone anywhere or done anything together...alone," El said.

"You'll be fine. I know Mike will take care of you. And when you get home, call me because I want to hear all about it," Max said. She led El out to the living room and she opened the door. Mike stood there, wearing a nice pair of khaki pant's and a button up shirt with his usual sneakers. He had a small bouquet of flowers in his left hand, his right hand in his pocket. El felt her heart skip a beat when she saw him. A smile spread on her face and when Mike saw her, he smiled too.

"Uh...these are for you," he says, holding out the flowers. She reached out and took them in shock. No one had gotten her real flowers before. Papa would bring her a small pot with fake succulents whenever people from the government would come to watch her use her powers.

"El? Are you okay?" Mike asked.

"What? Yes...yes I'm okay. It's just that no one has ever given me flowers before. They're nice," El said. She held them to her nose, inhaling the sweet smell deeply.

"Thank you, Mike," she said, blushing. Max smiled behind her, crossing her arms.

"You ready to go? I finally got a driver's license. And a car!" Mike said excitedly. He held his hand out and took El's in his.

"Don't crash!" Max yelled before shutting the door to her house.

•••••

"So, where are we going?" El asked.

"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise," Mike said and chuckled. El smiled at him and he gave her a look that made her heart flutter.

"You look beautiful," Mike said. He reached over and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. El felt butterflies form in her stomach and she squeezed his hand. She felt a sense of security with him that not even the military could provide, even if they tried. When the car came to a stop, Mike grabbed a basket from the backseat. He came around and opened the door for El and took her hand.

"What is this place?" El asked, looking around.

"The guys and I discovered this place when we were running from Troy one night. You'll love it," Mike said, holding her hand tight.

"Love..." she mumbled under her breath. Thankfully, Mike hadn't heard her, so they kept walking. When they got to the top of the hill, Mike set the basket down and looked at her.

"Look up," he said, pointing at the sky. He held her hands in his as she looked up to the sky. Her mouth fell open and she gasped in shock.

"What is this?" She asked, spinning in a circle and looking around.

"Those are the stars," Mike said. But he wasn't looking at the stars. He was admiring El. She looked beautiful when she looked at something that amazed her. She kept looking at the stars and when she turned back to Mike he was already looking at her.

"What?" She asked with a small giggle, blushing as he stared at her face. She reached and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and finally gathered the courage to meet Mike's eyes. Her heart was beating fast and her stomach was doing cartwheels. He put his hands on her cheeks gently and she felt electricity where his fingertips met her skin. She reached up and gripped his shirt, resting her palms on his chest.

"Love..." she said softly. She should be thinking about something else, but she just couldn't. She needed to comprehend it. And then she came to the realization that when you loved someone, you'd do anything for them. There was a warmth in her chest when they kissed, and every time their eyes met, she felt something overwhelming. And now she knew what that feeling was. The two laid on the blanket and she leaned her head on his shoulder and looked back up at the stars and Mike kissed the top of her head. They laid back on the blanket and looked up at the sky. El used Mike's arm as a pillow. For hours, they laid there together, Mike telling El all about the stars: their composition, constellations, and all sorts of stuff. El began to drift off, feeling peaceful as she laid under the stars, listening to Mike's voice and feeling his body by her side.

"Mike?" She said softly, running her fingers over his chest.

"Yea?" He said. He turned on his side to face her, propping himself up on his elbow. He rested his other arm on her stomach, his fingers tickling the exposed skin on her waist. When their eyes met, she found herself at a loss for words. Her heart fluttered when he looked at her.

"El, you okay?" Mike asked. She simply nodded and put her hand on the back of his neck, pulling his head down gently until their lips met. Their lips worked together like the parts of a machine. When they finally pulled away for air, El beamed at him.

"I just wanted to say I really love you," El said and caressed his cheek. Mike chuckled a bit but his face was a slight shade of red and he had a huge smile on his face.

"I love you too," he said softly. Then he went in for another kiss which El happily accepted, feeling at peace with herself for the first time in forever.


	2. Coffee Shop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Universe.

**(Age: 19)**

Sophomore year of college. It was late September, but it was already getting a bit too chilly for El's liking to be outside to study. The leaves were barely starting to change; a few red or orange leaves here and there.

El's favorite place to study was the park near the college. It was green, peaceful, and relaxing; the perfect place. But with the weather changing, she had to find a new place. Somewhere indoors where she could still focus.

Her new spot? The Coffee Cove; a quaint little family owned café on Main Street just up the road from her residence hall.

And day after day, her eyes fell upon one particularly cute boy who worked there: Mike. She didn't know his last name since his name tag only gave his first.  
Mike wasn't as into his schooling as El was. He spent more time working than studying, trying to make enough money to pay his tuition. It wasn't worth it to him; since he wasn't passing his classes anyway he saw it as a waste of money.

But Mike liked to work. He spent as many hours as he could a day at the café, racking up money that later would just go to the school. But at this job; he found his joy in working; a young lady with shoulder length brown hair who was in there every single day. Her name? El.

"Hey there welcome to the Coffee Cove. What can I get you today?" Mike asked El.

"Hey, can I just get a large iced coffee with French van-"

"French vanilla creamer and mocha syrup, with a shot of espresso? Yes ma'am," Mike said and winked at her. She blushed and smiled at him, tucking some hair behind her ear. Cute boy memorized her order.

"Thank you," she said and paid. She stood and waited for her drink and he handed her her cup.

"Thank you!" She said again.

"My pleasure," he said, offering her a charming smile. She walked to her table where her school supplies were and set the drink down. As she was sliding the straw in, she saw more than just her name on her cup.

_You're cute, you should text me sometime_   
_801-820-0263 ;)_

She turned her head around to the counter and her's and Mike's eyes met. She smiled and held the cup up, pointing at his number. To which he simply nodded with another one of his heart melting winks. She took her phone out and typed in the number.

_When you're on break or lunch or whatever, come over here and sit with me - El_

He took his phone out, since there were no customers, and he smiled at her text.

_Can't wait - Mike_

El smiled over at him one last time before opening up her notebook and starting to copy down notes from her computer. She worked for hours, sipping on her coffee. She jumped when a figure stood beside her and picked her cup up.

"Would you like a refill? On me. Or, some lunch, since I've never actually seen you eat here? Also, on me," he said. Goodness, his smile was so charming and addictive.  
"Uh, no that's okay you don't have to-"

"Well, it's my lunch break. How about I get us some lunch and join you?" He asked.

"Okay," El managed to say. She was so nervous around him. She felt like a middle school girl around her little crush.

"I'll be back," he said. Less than five minutes later, he returned with two lunches on trays. She scooted her laptop and notebook away.

"Thank you but you didn't have to get me lunch," El said.

"It's alright, I wanted to. El..."

"Hopper. El Hopper," she said and smiled at him.

"Mike Wheeler," he said. He reached across the table and they shook hands. She felt butterflies when their skin met. His skin was smooth and soft. Cute boy's last name is Wheeler.

"Did you call me cute?" He asked.

"What? No? Did I say that out loud? Oh my god..." El said and grabbed her laptop.

"No no it's okay you don't need to leave. I think you're cute too," Mike said. El blushed and glanced her empty coffee cup, where he had written you're cute underneath her name.

"So, El, I see you here almost every day. You're a student at NYU?" He asked.

"Yes...are you?" El asked.

"Yea, but I work more than I study," He said.

"No one will hire me because of my limited availability due to classes," she said and stuffed her things in her backpack.

"They're very flexible here. Maybe I can put in a word with my boss. He's super nice," Mike said. El nodded and his boss emerged from the kitchen.

"Wheeler! Get on over here the lunch rush is starting!" He said.

"I've got to go, but it was nice to meet you, officially, El Hopper. Hope we can do it again sometime," Mike said. El nodded and he took his tray and walked away, getting back to work. El quickly finished her lunch and left. She had to get to a class that day, and she was going to be late already.

•••••

Within the next two weeks, El was able to start working at the coffee shop. She and Mike worked the same shift a lot, and she was sure that that was on purpose. Every second that they weren't cooking, cleaning, or helping a customer, they were spending together. They'd take their lunch break together and hang out. It was a close, tight bond that formed. It was quickly turning into a romance. One day, while they were working, Mike decided to ask her out...officially.

El was filling up the baskets on the shelves with the little chip bags and stuff, and Mike walked over to her.

"Hey El...um...can I talk to you?" He asked.

"What's up?" She asked, setting down her box of stock.

"So I was wondering...um...if maybe you wanted to...uh..." He was stuttering, and wiping his hands nervously on his apron.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Do you want to go on a date...with me," he stammered.

"Yes," she said. His eyes went wide and he smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes!" She said excitedly. He was so excited; El thought it was adorable. And so, after work, they got their stuff and got bundled up and took a bus to Central Park, where they were having their date.

"Have you ever been to Central Park?" Mike asked.

"Not yet. I'm always so busy during the school year. Then I go home to my family for breaks and summer," she said.

"Well it's beautiful. You're going to love it," Mike said. She smiled and when they got to the park, he revealed that he'd got them a horse and carriage tour.

"After you," Mike said. He held her hand while she climbed onto the carriage and climbed on after her. She held his hand as they rode around, listening to the tour guide as he talked about the history of the park and attractions they stopped at. After the ride, they took a walk down the Mall, the large, wide pathway under the canopy of trees in the south end of the park. The trees were several gorgeous shades of green, red, yellow, and orange as autumn claimed nature full force. They held hands as they walked slowly, admiring the scenery as the sun set, leaving a golden glow on the trees.

"El..." Mike said, stopping. She felt a small tug on her hand and she turned around to him. She looked content, a super duper slight smile present on her face.

"Yea?" She asked.

"I uh...I had a really great time tonight. And I really enjoy spending time with you...I was wondering if you wanted to...well...be my girlfriend," he said. Her eyes went wide like a deer in headlights.

"Sorry I...you don't have to-"

"Yes. Yes, I do," she said, a wide smile spreading on her face.

"Really?" Mike asked. He smiled, the realization she said registering on his face. He grabbed her cheeks and crashed his lips to hers. He pulled away and she stared at him. Both of them had wanted to kiss the other for so long. Her fingers came up to her lips, the feeling of his kiss still lingering there.

"Good god El I'm sorry I-" She cut him off by grabbing his jacket and kissing him. He lifted his hands to her cheeks once again and kissed her back. When they pulled apart, El pressed her forehead to Mike's, his hands still on her face.

"I'm falling for you," El said. Now that she'd kissed him, she felt much more confident in telling him her feelings.

"I'm falling for you too...is that a bad thing?" He asked.

"I'm scared...I've never fallen in love before..." she said.

"Neither have I...guess we'll have to figure it out together," he said. He chuckled a bit, causing her to giggle. He placed another feather light kiss to her lips and they laced their fingers together and kept walking. El couldn't stop staring at him as they walked. She was head over heels for him. And as she had said, she was terrified.

They were both kind of embarrassed that they were only just now getting in their first relationship. But they turned and looked each other in the eyes, and they realized it was worth the wait.


	3. Vanity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possible TW: Eating disorder.

El had never really thought about the way she looked. After all, she had spent twelve years of her life with a shaved head. Of course, no one saw her then.

Even after that, though, her looks never mattered to her. She took care of herself, of course. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, showered daily; basic hygiene. She thought she was pretty. Mike thought she was pretty. And to her, that's what mattered.

Until Max introduced her to tabloid magazines. Fashion magazines that portrayed toned, skinny girls with large breasts and butts and tanned skin. Not to mention the straight and white teeth, acne-free skin, and the long, voluminous hair. Every celebrity, both teenager and adult, was flawless. And of course, El didn't know anything about airbrush and photoshop.

"Max, these girls are pretty," El said.

"Yea, especially her. I wish I looked like that," Max said, pointing at a skinny, gorgeous blonde girl. Max was unknowingly affecting El by doing that.

"Why do I not look like these girls?" El asked.

"I don't know. Genetics, I guess. But they make all sorts of things you can use to adjust your appearance. Makeup, hair extensions, wigs, hair dye, all that stuff. But if we all looked the same, we'd be boring," Max said. El nodded and looked back at the magazines. What could possibly be so boring about being normal?

"Hey, don't think about it too much. Those girls are photoshopped anyway," Max said.

"Photo...shopped?" El asked.

"Yea. It means that before they publish the picture, they use editing to blur out imperfections and make their waists skinnier and their butts and boobs bigger," Max said.

"Why do they do that?"

"Because that's tabloid media. They want you to think that beauty is anything except for...well...who you are," Max said. But when El left Max's house the next morning, she was under the impression that she wasn't good enough how she was. And she wanted to change that.

She started with her hair and face. She went to the store and bought hair and skin vitamins, all sorts of creams for hair growth, and all kinds of makeup. She got foundation, concealer, mascara, eyeliner, contour...anything she could find. She got a rigorous skincare routine that took an hour and costed too much.

Then she moved on to her body. She researched any way possible to naturally enhance her breasts and her butt while making her waist, legs, and stomach smaller. She got into a rigorous, targeted exercise routine that lasted three hours a day. Her diet was literally vegetables and the occasional fruit. She got most of her nutrients through vitamins.

Mike noticed a change in El. She was less confident. She smiled less, and her ribs were visible even when she casually stood there. Her face was sunken, but he noticed she covered the dark circles with concealer. She disguised her cheekbones with contour. Her skin was so airbrushed she looked like an in person magazine photo. She had lipgloss or lipstick on all the time, as well as mascara. When they were sitting together reading, which they did often, he could hear her stomach growling. But when he offered to take her out to dinner, she refused. She refused even a granola bar. She appeared perfect to anyone who didn't know her. But to someone who did, like Mike, she was dying, both physically and emotionally. Mike knew he had to do something. His sign came when he met up with El and went to do the usual thing: putting his hands on her waist to kiss her. They did that almost every time they met up. But she didn't let him touch her.

"El, we need to have a serious talk. What's gotten into you?" Mike asked, sitting her down at the table. They were home alone. Joyce was out with Hopper for a case, since she'd gotten a job at the station. Jonathan and Nancy were out on a walk. And Will was hanging out with his friends from his new school, doing who-knows-what.

"What do you mean? I'm fine," El said. Mike reached across the table and took her hands in his.

"You are not fine. Something has changed with you, El. You won't eat anything except carrots and celery. You wear tons of makeup every day. Your rib cage is protruding and your cheekbones have sunken in a bit. Your under-eyes are dark, as if you don't sleep enough, or even at all. You won't even look at anything related to food. You won't let me hug you, either. You barely even smile anymore, El. Please, talk to me. What's going on?" He asked. His voice was gentle and caring. He wasn't mad. And even if he was, getting angry at her wouldn't help at all.

"I...I..." she started. She looked down at their hands connected on the table and when she blinked, tears rushed down her face.

"I want to be pretty...like the girls in the magazines..." El admitted. She was so unbelievably ashamed. Mike felt his heart shatter.

"El...you are perfect the way you are. What brought all of this on?" He asked.

"I just wanted to be perfect for you. I wanted to be...enough..." she whined.

"Come here," he said. He stood up and walked over to her and lifted her from her chair.

"You are more than enough for me, El. You're everything. My everything. You are absolutely beautiful the way you are. I love everything about you. Your cute little hands...your big brown doe eyes...your adorable ass smile...your soft lips...your laugh...your hair...your smooth, fair skin...the sound of your voice...everything," He said, brushing hair behind her ear and gazing into her eyes.

"What about my body...?" She asked.

"You don't need to have big breasts or a butt or a flat-as-a-board stomach to impress me, El. You impress me every day by being...you. Your confidence, your glowing smile, your kindness and how much you care about people, your strength...that's what I love about you. The shape of your body is not a priority. I love you for the little things that make you...you. Any girl can have long, flowing hair and glowing skin and a flawless body. But you know what they don't have that you do? A gorgeous personality. A barbie girl with no personality is boring. And you know what? Real girls have flaws. That's what makes you human. Your flaws make you who you are. And sometimes, those things that you view as flaws, are the things that those around you love most. And I love you. For everything that you are," Mike said. At that point, El was basically ugly crying. She put her arms around his torso and sobbed her little heart out against his chest. She sank to her knees on the floor and Mike went with her, not letting go of her for anything.

"I love you Mike...I love you..." she sobbed. He ran his fingers through her hair and started crying.

"I love you too El...I love you so much..." he choked. She finally stopped crying and then she was just sitting in Mike's arms as he held her against him for the first time in weeks. She pulled away and looked at him and Mike chuckled softly.

"What?" She asked, scared.

"You've got mascara..." he said. He grabbed a washcloth and put some water on it and wiped as much of it as he could from under her eyes.

"See? That's another reason you don't want to wear makeup. Tears and sweat smear your face," Mike said and El laughed.

"There's that adorable laugh I love," he said. She smiled and crashed her lips to his sloppily. He kissed her back and she sighed and rested her forehead against his.

"Let's get you cleaned up," he said. She nodded and he took her to her room and sat her at her vanity. He used a cleansing wipe to clean her face of her makeup and she had an urge to cover her face from him, but she didn't.

"There, all better. Now, what do you say we get you something to eat?" Mike asked gently. She looked down at her lap and tried to say no, but her stomach growled. She was so hungry.

"Come on," he said gently. She nodded and they loaded up in his car and he took her downtown to what he knew was her favorite place to eat. She hesitated when her food was set in front of her, but she ended up eating it and she felt so much better.

"Hey, El?" Mike said.

"Yea?" She asked, scared of what he'd say.

"You're perfect, and I love you," he said. She smiled and leaned across the table and kissed him.

"I love you too, Mike."


	4. Girl Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of 3 for this "one" shot. It is based on the Lifetime original movie by the same name.

Since El moved away with the Byers, Joyce decided it would be safe for her to go to school. She enrolled at the same school as Will, so at least she knew one person.

On the first day, Will and El climbed into the car.

"El, you ready?" Joyce asked.

"Not really. I'm scared," El said, hugging her backpack. She didn't have Mike, or Hopper, or even her powers to help her feel a little safer.

"You don't have to be scared. School isn't really a big deal. I'll show you the ropes, and maybe you can make some friends," Will said. El nodded and looked out the window as they drove down the road. She didn't want friends. She wanted Hopper back. And Mike.

Joyce pulled up to the school and gave each of them kisses on the tops of their heads.

"Have a good day! And hey, El, Will will be here the whole time. Talk to him if you need anything okay!" Joyce said. El nodded and Joyce sped off to work. El followed behind Will closely, holding onto his shoulder.

"We don't have any classes together until after lunch. And we do have lunch together," Will said. El nodded and watched the other kids opening their lockers and did exactly what they did. She nearly screeched with excitement when she got it open on her first try.

"Girls, look," a girl a grade above El said from a couple lockers down. El looked up and saw her and her group of friends staring. She looked back down and sobbed her books in her locker.

"New girl," a tall, blonde girl said. Now they were beside her. They were all dressed up really nice and hung around each other like a basic high school clique.

"What's your name," the blonde girl said.

"El..." she answered quietly.

"El, that's nice. Were you homeschooled? You look like you can't dress. But don't worry, stick with us, we'll get you in some of the cutest clothes. You'll be thanking us," a dark haired girl said beside her. She had a smug look on her face. But El didn't know anything about girls and high school and cliques. So she went with it.

"Uh...okay," she said and smiled shyly, hugging her textbooks to her chest.

"Cool. I'm Allison...that's Kirstin, Haley, Madison, Taylor, and Macy. Come on," the blonde girl, who was obviously Allison, said. She linked arms with El and led her down the hallway and El smiled at Will, who gave her a thumbs up. Even at lunch, Will sat with his new friends. Will was so excited that El was finally getting a bit of a normal life.

•••••

A couple weeks went by and El spent all day, every day at school with her new friends. She was so excited to finally have girl friends to hang out with.

As she was walking to the lunch table where she and the girls sat, she was stopped by an office woman.

"El Hopper? You have a phone call," she said. El nodded and set her tray down at the table with her friends.

"Girl, where you going?" Taylor asked.

"I have a phone call in the office," El said. She nodded and El went to the office. The woman handed her the phone.

"Hello?"

"El!" An excited voice said.

"Mike?!" El said.

"Hey there...how's school going?"

"It's good. I made some friends. I miss you though," El said, twirling the phone cord.

"I miss you too. Tell me about your friends," Mike said. She could hear him smiling through the phone.

"Their names are Allison, Taylor, Kirsten, Macy, Haley, and Madison. They're all really sweet and they've shown me a lot about high school and helped me learn how to dress nice and stuff. Although they are kind of...cliche, I think was the word Joyce used. They talk too much gossip and say a lot of stupid things that I don't understand. But it doesn't bother me, I just like having friends," El said.

"El I'm so glad you're making friends. You need girls your age to talk to, especially since you can't hang out with Max now," Mike said. El giggled and her smile faded.

"I love you, Mike. I've gotta go," El said.

"I love you too. I'll call you again soon," Mike said. They hung up and El left the office. She saw Taylor and the others sitting there, and when she sat down they gave her funny looks.

"Is everything okay?" Kirsten asked.

"Yea, why?" El asked.

"Just making sure," Madison said. She said it sort of sarcastically, but El didn't know how to recognize sarcasm and stuff like that. She nodded and smiled at them and they smiled back. When El got home that day, she went upstairs and worked on her homework.

"El, honey, you've got a phone call from Allison," Joyce called. El ran down the stairs and took the phone from Joyce.

"Hey, Allison, are you okay?" El asked.

"I'm fine, yea. I wanted you to come over. All the girls are here too. We thought it was about time we finally hung out after school together," Allison said.

"Oh uh...okay...I'll be there soon," El said. Allison hung up and El got Joyce to drive her to Allison's house.

"I'll be back in a couple hours honey," Joyce said.

"Thank you..." El said and smiled. She went up to the door and knocked and Allison opened it, letting her in. When El stepped in, Taylor stood there, holding a video camera. The girls were all gathered around her and staring at her.

"What's...going on?" El asked, setting her bag on the couch.

"Taylor heard what you said to your boyfriend on the phone in the office. You called us cliché and stupid," Kirsten said.

"What?" El asked.

"Don't play dumb. She heard it with her own ears," Allison said.

"But I...I wasn't calling you stupid I said that some of the stuff we talk about is stupid. I didn't mean it like that," El said.

"No, you said exactly what you meant," Allison said. They all glared at her.

"Get her, Kirsten," Madison said. Kristen stepped forward and shoved El against a wall.

"What the hell?!" El shouted and ran at Kristen. Kirsten shoved her back even harder and El was defenseless without her powers.

"Stupid bitch!" Kirsten shouted. She hit El across the cheek with the base of her palm and it instantly split El's cheek open. She was aware of the pain, and she saw Taylor, filming everything on her video camera. Kirsten grabbed El by her hair and threw her on the ground and kicked her in her jaw.

"Stop! Stop it!" El cried.

"Fight back!" Kirsten shouted. El shook her head and turned over on her stomach and spit blood out of her mouth.

"I said fight back!" Kristen shouted. Her knuckles collided with El's browbone several times, busting it open and blood blurring her vision.

"Why don't you like us, huh?! Why don't you like me? Or Macy? Or Madison? Why don't you like Taylor? Or Allison? What about Haley?" Kirsten shouted, hitting her and punching her for each name. She climbed off of her and picked her up, throwing her on the couch.

"Please...stop..." El cried. She was already bruising badly and had blood coming from her nose, her mouth, and a couple different wounds on her face.

"We're not stopping! You deserve this!" Taylor shouted. Kirsten kept wailing on El, even taking the time to punch her in her ribs. She busted open her jaw and cheekbones more, as well as her forehead and lip.

"Guys my mom's gonna be home soon we've gotta get out of here!" Allison said. They started to scramble and picked up all of the stuff knocked over by the fight. Haley poured peroxide on the blood stain on the carpet and Kirsten and Madison lifted El up off the couch.

"Alright El, come on, we're going to go for a little ride, okay?" Madison said. They guided her out the door and got her in the backseat of Allison's car.

"Okay El, so here's what's going to happen. We're going to take you to the hospital and drop you off. You're going to tell them you were attacked in an alley downtown. If you tell anyone what really happened, we will kill you. You will be beaten to a pulp and die. Do you understand? Hey El, focus, focus! You tell anyone, and you're dead!" Madison said as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

"El you need to get out of the car now," Allison said.

"No, no she is not leaving this vehicle until she apologizes for what she said!" Taylor said. The door beside El opened and Kirsten stood there, smirking.

"I'm sorry...for what I said..." El muttered.

"Well I'm sure you are now," Kirsten said and they all laughed. She pulled El out of the car and they tossed her bag out and sped off.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." El repeated as she scooped her bag up and started to walk slowly towards the hospital.

"Oh my goodness dear what happened to you?" An older woman asked. El could hear her and she could process her words, but all she could say was "I'm sorry."

"You need medical help! Come on honey!" The woman said. El just nodded and the woman called for help, but she blacked out from there.


	5. Girl Fight Pt. 2

"El? Where's El?" Joyce said to Jonathan and Will. They ran through the halls of the hospital and went to the ICU, where El was in a bed, freaking out. She was having a panic attack and couldn't breathe.

"El! El!" Joyce said and ran over to her bed. Her face was extremely bruised, swollen, and cut up.

"Excuse me are you the parent?" The doctor asked.

"I-yes, yes I am," Joyce said.

"We'd like your permission to give her a sedative. It'll help her calm down and maybe fall asleep," the doctor said. Joyce nodded and they put the IV in her arm.

"I don't understand what happened?" Joyce asked.

"All that she has said is that she was jumped. I've called the police. They're going to come take a statement when she's a little more aware," The doctor said.

"She was jumped?" Joyce said. She went back over to El and was running her hands through her hair to try and calm her down.

"Who did this to you El?" Joyce asked. Will and Jonathan stood on the other side of her bed.

"Kirsten...Allison...Taylor...Madison...Haley...Macy...they...did it..." El cried.

"Your friends? Why? Why would they do that?" Jonathan said.

"They wanted revenge for something I said...and they made...they made a video," El said. She was finally panicking less and her breathing was under control again. Joyce looked at Jonathan and Will and El grabbed Will's hand.

"Mike...I want Mike..." she whimpered.

"I'll go call the Wheeler's," Jonathan said. He ran around the corner to the phone and dialed their number.

"Hello?" Mrs. Wheeler said.

"Hi Karen, it's Jonathan. Is-"

"Hi Jonathan! How are you?" Karen said.

"I can't talk right now. Listen, where's Mike?" Jonathan said.

"He's downstairs, why?"

"Just put him on the phone, please. Immediately," Jonathan said. A moment later, Mike was on the other end of the line.

"Jonathan? What's wrong?"

"Mike, it's El. She's in the hospital. She got beat up pretty bad by her friends. She wants you, so get here as fast as you can and we'll explain more later," Jonathan said and hung up. About an hour and a half later, Mike and Nancy emerged into El's room. Mike choked and covered his mouth with his hand.

"El? El! Oh my god...what happened to her?" He asked, crouching at her bedside and holding her hand.

"She said her friends did this. She said something about revenge and how they filmed it all on a video camera. She uh...her left eardrum is busted, she has a concussion, and she may have permanent vision loss in her left eye..." Joyce said. Mike teared up and that's when El woke up and started having a panic attack again.

"Woah woah hey El, it's me! It's Mike!" He said. She turned and looked at him and her breathing slowed and she calmed down as Mike pet her hair, saying 'it's me, it's Mike' repeatedly in a whispered tone. She reached up and touched his face for just a second, but she was really weak and doped up on pain medication so she couldn't really bear the weight to hold her arm up.

"Lay with me..." she said and pulled him onto the hospital bed with her. He laid beside her, propped up on his elbow. Then a police officer materialized in the door.

"I'm here to take a statement from Miss...El Hopper," he said. El looked at Mike and the police officer stepped in and sat down. El gave her statement, and at the end she had to be put to sleep again because she was freaking out.

"I can't believe these girls called themselves her friends and them did this to her. Why would they even want revenge on El? What could she have said that was so bad that it warranted a beating like this?" Will asked. Joyce rubbed her temples and Mike stared at El's poor face.

"I don't care what she said or did. I'm on her side. And I'm going to kill those girls for what they did to her," Mike said.

"Calm down. Getting angry won't help matters any right now," Joyce said. He sighed and his face softened when he looked at his poor, bruised and beaten girl. He would've gladly taken the beating instead if it meant she wouldn't be in pain. Then the doctor stepped in.

"She can be discharged this evening, since everything is treated and stitched. You'll want to see an eye doctor as well as a hearing specialist regularly about her ear and eye. I've prescribed a painkiller for the concussion and the bruises. And a sedative for the panic attacks. It is likely she'll have a few, as well as nightmares. A very traumatic event like this can be hard to handle, so here's a list of a few therapists and specialists she can see if she needs help. And a lawyer who has already called to take your case," the doctor said. He handed Joyce a whole folder full of papers as well as the slip for El's prescriptions.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done," Joyce said. He nodded and stepped in the room to remove El's IVs.

"When she wakes up and we can get her on her feet long enough you'll be good to go," the doctor said. Joyce nodded and about a half hour later, El started to stir. She sat up with a gasp and grabbed Mike's arm.

"Hey, hey it's alright. You're alright," he said. She calmed when she saw his face and he put his arms around her carefully.

"I wanna go home..." she whined.

"Well good news, the doc just told us you're allowed to leave whenever you can stand on your feet, long enough to get you to the car at least," Mike said. She quickly threw her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, but she fell on the floor from dizziness and nausea. Mike caught her before she could hit the ground too hard.

"I'm okay....I'm okay..." she said. Mike crouched beside her and she held onto him. He slowly rose to his feet, bringing her up with him. She dug her fingers into his arms as she tried to keep her balance and he had her sit back down on the bed.

"Maybe you should wait just a tad longer," Joyce suggested.

"No I can't stay here any more...I don't want to..." she said and tried to stand on her feet again. She almost fell again and Mike caught her.

"Alright feisty pants come here," he said. He reached down behind her knees and scooped her up bridal style. He must've been working out, because he was a lot stronger than before and had no issue carrying her. He laid her down in the back of Joyce's car and sat with her as they all finally got to ride home. As they were unloading the car, another vehicle pulled into the driveway behind them and a middle aged woman climbed out carrying a video tape.

"I was up all night trying to decide what the right thing to do was. I think...I think this is the right decision," she said and held out the tape, Joyce taking it gingerly.

"It's the video," she said. She looked at El, who was being guided really slowly to the house by Mike.

"Look what they did to you. I'm so sorry," she said.

"Please just go," Joyce said as they stepped inside, shutting the door in her face. Mike got El tucked into her bed and some ice on her face and went downstairs. Joyce put the tape into the player and it started with them confronting El about what she said. There was a collective gasp from them all when Kirsten hit El the first time. Joyce and Mike started to cry when they saw her grab El by her hair and throw her to the ground and punch her hard enough to break open her jaw. Then Kirsten punched her and her browbone busted open, blood splattering across her face and to the floor, and Mike ran to the bathroom and threw up. Then he sat there crying. He couldn't stand the sight of his girl being beat to a pulp while she was entirely defenseless. Especially over something so stupid. It was heartbreaking and sickening.

"Mike, are you okay?" Nancy asked from outside the door. He had to refrain from laughing. El was laying in bed, having nearly been beaten to death, and they were asking if he's okay? That irritated him. He cleaned things up and came out of the bathroom and he could hear them still watching the video. He went to El's room and pushed the door open; and she was laying there, staring at the ceiling.

"You should try and get some sleep," he said gently, walking over and sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I can't. Every time I close my eyes I see them," El said quietly. Mike sighed and laid down beside her, propping himself up slightly. He brought her hands to his lips gently.

"Try and get some rest. I'm right here. They can't hurt you anymore," he said. She let out a shaky sigh and closed her eyes and Mike laid his arm across her stomach, careful not to lay too close to her so he wouldn't hurt her. Joyce came in the room and sat in a chair beside Mike.

"We're going to take legal action for this. There's a lawyer who already wants to take our case," she whispered.

"Whatever gets those girls punished," Mike said softly.

"I know you're angry, but don't get too fired up around her. It'll make her get upset too. I'm going to go make dinner, I imagine everyone is hungry," she said and left. Mike sighed and kissed El's hand again.

"I'm going to take care of you. Of all of this. I promise," he whispered. He was going to do what it took to get revenge on those girls.


	6. Girl Fight Pt. 3

The next day, El was finally fast asleep. She'd managed to eat something without throwing it back up. And then she was exhausted and fell asleep right on the couch. Will tossed a blanket over her and they all stayed as quiet as possible so she could finally rest.

"Joyce, can I borrow your car?" Mike asked.

"Sure, what for?" She asked, handing him the keys.

"I'm just going to go out for a bit," he said. He kissed El on her forehead carefully and left. He drove down the road and pulled up to the address he had found of Allison's house. He got out and knocked on the door. Allison answered.

"Hi, are you Allison?" Mike asked.

"I am...who are you?" She asked.

"My name is Mike. I believe you know my girlfriend, El," he said. Her eyes went wide and Kirsten materialized behind Allison.

"How could you do that to her? She was your friend. All she wanted was to fit in and she finally felt like she belonged. And because of two stupid words she said, you thought she deserved to be beat nearly to death?" Mike said angrily.

"We barely touched her," Kirsten said sassily.

"Barely touched her? She has a concussion...her left ear drum is busted...she has possible permanent vision loss in her left eye...you beat up and permanently damaged her. She can't stop crying and throwing up and having nightmares. All because you petty ass bitches who thought a near death beating was punishment for some words. She said something bad about you so what? That's life. And guess what? The police have the tape, and they're on their way," Mike said. He walked back to Joyce's car and climbed in and drove off. Allison looked at Kirsten and before they could flee the house, the police pulled up to the house and got out, coming towards the door. Mike drove home and he got inside and El was still asleep.

"Where did you go?" Joyce asked. Her, Nancy, Will, and Jonathan were around the table.

"I uh...I went and had a little visit with those girls. They were being arrested when I left," Mike said, setting Joyce's keys back in the basket by the door where they go.

"They were?" She said, hopping up from her chair. Mike nodded and sat down beside El. Her head shot up and she threw the blanket off of her.

"Hey baby it's okay. You're home. You're safe," Mike said. He kissed her cheek below one of her bruises and she closed her eyes and smiled.

"I've got good news," Mike said gently.

"What is it," she asked.

"The girls who did this to you have been arrested," Mike said. She felt a million pounds lift off her shoulders and she sighed with relief and started crying and put her arms around his neck.

"Hey hey why are you crying?" Mike asked, rubbing her back.

"I don't know..." she whimpered and wiped her face cautiously so she didn't hurt herself.

"Hey, they can't hurt you anymore. Ever again," he whispered. Then Joyce was on the phone and she hang up and walked over, kneeling in front of El.

"It isn't just over, unfortunately. We have to go to court. Testify. Go through the ups and downs of a plea bargain and the charges being made and sentencing..." Joyce said. El looked down at her lap and fiddled with her fingers.

"Hey don't worry about it honey. We'll take care of you. There's nothing to worry about. It'll only take a few weeks and then it'll be over and you can heal and move on with your life," Joyce said and patted El's leg.

"And I'll be here every step of the way. All of us will," Mike said. They all stood around in a circle and nodded in agreement. She tucked her knees up to her chest and started to cry again and Mike put his arms around her.

"We have to go in tomorrow to the prosecutor's office. She'll discuss the charges against the girls and a possible plea deal. That's instantly one step closer to ending this. Okay?" Joyce said.

"Mike can come with, right?" She asked.

"I don't see why not," Joyce said. She nodded and wrapped her arms around his torso. Mike kissed the top of her head and she sighed. It was going to be a long few weeks.

•••••

The next morning, Mike got El out of bed early in the morning. Joyce had breakfast for them ready. The others were all still asleep.

"I'm not hungry," El said.

"El you've barely eaten in days. Why don't you try to stomach something?" Joyce said.

"Maybe after. I'm too nervous right now," she said. Joyce nodded and they loaded into the car and went to the prosecutor's office.

"Okay El. So here's the deal. With this video backing up our testimony, the girls will be convicted. They will all be charged with kidnapping, for locking you in the house and not letting you leave. They'll be charged with battery as well. The kidnapping charge alone comes with the possibility of life in prison," the prosecutor said.

"Life?!" El said, sitting forward so fast it hurt her head. Mike grabbed her hand to ground her.

"Well if that bothers you, then that's where the plea deal can come in. As long as you and your family agree to it, then the judges will be a little more lenient in their sentencing," She said.

"Joyce?" El said.

"I don't think you should do it. I don't think you should give them the plea deal," Mike said.

"Why?"

"They almost killed you. For no reason. But if you really want to give them the plea deal, then I'll stand by your decision," He said. She nodded and looked at Joyce.

"I think he summed it up perfectly honey," Joyce said.

"Okay. Give them the plea deal," El said.

"Okay. The last step of this process is sentencing. I'll submit the request for the plea deal to the judges. I see here you don't want to testify though. Not that you're required too, because they don't need your eyewitness evidence to prosecute the girls since they made the video and the evidence in the judge's hands," The woman said.

"I just...don't want to," El said.

"Alright. Well I can't force you to. I'll submit the request, and give you a call with the sentencing date," the prosecutor said. El sighed and as soon as they were out the door and in the car, El curled up in Mike's arms and cried.

"What's the matter baby?" He asked.

"I just want this to be over..." El cried.

"It will be soon...I promise," Mike said and kissed her cheek softly and squeezed her tight. When they got home, El retreated to her room while Mike and Joyce filled the others in on what the prosecutor said. And then she got a phone call. Two weeks until the sentencing.

•••••

***two weeks later***

They arrived at the courthouse ready to see the girls sentenced. El was coming back from the bathroom and ran into the group of girls.

"Oh look who it is! You know, El, why couldn't you take your beating like a normal person and move on. You had to send the cops after us and we could go to prison for life. Maybe we'll just beat you again right now. I mean the deal was if you told anyone we'd beat you to a pulp. This might be our last chance," Kirsten said and crossed her arms smugly.

"I...I..." El said, backing away from them.

"Hey! What did you say to her?" Mike said, stepping in front of her.

"Mike it's fine," El said.

"Yea Mike, it's fine," Taylor said sarcastically, stepping forward.

"Don't you dare step any closer to her! Don't you see her face? What you did to her? Do you feel any remorse?" Mike said. They all looked at each other and crossed their arms, staying silent.

"Didn't think so. You girls deserve whatever punishment the judge gives you today. Now, you low life, good-for-nothing whores stay away from her. Don't talk to her, hell don't even look at her. Or I will kill you. Got it?" Mike said. El gripped his arm, standing behind him and looking at them. The girls simply sneered and turned and walked away and El clung to Mike like a child clinging to their mother. He turned around and held her cheeks, careful not to touch her wounds or bruises.

"Are you okay? Baby are you okay?" He asked. She was trembling and wanted to cry, but she looked at Mike with wide eyes.

"Hey, baby you're okay. I'm here. It's okay. Let's go," he said gently and put his arms around her. They went to the courtroom and sat down in the chairs and El held Mike and Joyce's hands tight.

"I understand the victim's mother would like to say a few words," the judge said. Joyce rose and El looked up at her with a look that said what are you doing?  
Joyce went to the podium and unfolded a piece of paper.

"Ma'am I know I'm supposed to address you but I'd like to ask permission to address the girls," Joyce said.

"I'll allow it," the judge said. Joyce turned to the girls.

"Look I...I, no, we, came here today looking for blood. Revenge. You hurt El. Nearly killed her. And for what? A few bad words? That's life, girls. And now, you're never going to be able to escape the image you've created for yourselves. The world will forever see you as the girls who beat up and permanently...permanently damaged a defenseless, young girl. But I can tell you that the damage you did to her isn't comparable to the damage you've done to yourself. In that video, and the way that you beat our poor El, you look so tough. And here in person, you're just scared, little girls. You need help, and I sure hope you get it. So...El and I would like to request as much leniency as possible when handing out your sentences. Thank you," Joyce said. She wiped a tear and sat back beside El, taking her hand again.

"Well...you girls owe a debt of gratitude to your victim and her family. Councils, come forward so we can discuss sentences," the judge said. They stepped forward and after about five minutes, they sat back down.

"Defendants, please rise," the judge said. The girls rolled their eyes and rose to their feet.

"Alright, Haley Johnson and Madison Miller, you will each be sentenced to two years of probation and 50 hours of community service. Macy Jones and Taylor Smith, you will both be sentenced to 3 years of probation and are ordered to pay the victim $1500 in restitution. Allison Simons, you will be sentenced to three years of probation, 100 hours of community service, and will pay the victim $2000 in restitution. And finally, Kirsten Brown, you will spend 60 days in jail, followed by two years of probation, 100 hours of community service, and you will pay the victim $2000 in restitution. And we are adjourned here," The judge said. She hit her mallet on the desk and everyone left the room. Mike engulfed El in a huge hug and she sighed.

"Come on, let's go out for lunch," Joyce said. They were walking towards the door and El watched as Kirsten was put in handcuffs.

"Hey, baby, you okay?" Mike asked her. She looked up at him and smiled softly.

"Yea, I think so," she said. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Good. Let's get out of here then," Mike said and smiled, his arm around her waist. El breathed in the fresh air and felt pure relief wash over her. Maybe now she could finally be free.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm obsessed with Mileven so I just had to write these one-shots. Enjoy :)


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